Australian Research Council


The Australian Research Council is a Commonwealth entity established as an independent body under the Australian Research Council Act 2001, reporting to the Minister for Education.
The ARC's purpose is to help shape Australian research for the nation's economic, social, environmental and cultural benefit:
  1. enabling research,
  2. evaluating the excellence, impact and depth of Australian research,
  3. providing advice and research grants services, and
  4. supporting research integrity and promoting ethical research.
The ARC supports early-stage research through the National Competitive Grants Program, which supports approximately $1 billion per year of research to individuals, teams and large-scale centres in all disciplines except for medical.
Since 2011, ARC has awarded the annual Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship and the Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship, which are research fellowships for female Australian and international researchers, intended to support innovative research programs and mentor early career researchers.

History and governance

The ARC was founded in 2001 under the Australian Research Council Act 2001 It is directly descended from the 1965 Australian Research Grants Committee., the agency reports to the Minister for Education.

Research integrity

Management of research integrity in Australia is a shared responsibility that involves the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council and a range of other institutions and entities.
There is no single Commonwealth agency with regulatory powers for the management or oversight of research integrity in Australia. Responsibility for the various aspects of research integrity is shared among institutions that conduct research, funding agencies, agencies such as Ombudsman Offices in the jurisdictions, Crime and Corruption Commissions in jurisdictions and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.

Functional areas

National Competitive Grants Program

The ARC funds research and researchers under the National Competitive Grants Program. Funding opportunities administered by the ARC include the Australian Laureate Fellowship.
On 25 February 2025, the ARC released the Discussion Paper: A New Plan for ARC-Funded Research, proposing major reforms to the National Competitive Grants Program. Developed following extensive 2024 consultations, the paper outlines a redesigned scheme structure, streamlined processes, stronger support for early career researchers, and a greater focus on knowledge generation and collaboration. The review aims to ensure the NCGP remains innovative, aligned with national research priorities, and delivers clear public value. Submissions are now closed, with a final report due in Q3 2025.

Research Insights Capability

The ARC is developing a new approach research evaluation, designed to be a useful tool to build understanding, recognise excellent Australian research and celebrate its outstanding achievements. It's being referred to as the ARC's Research Insights Capability.

Gender equity

The ARC has awarded research fellowships for female Australian and international researchers and research leaders to build Australia's research capacity, undertake innovative research programs and mentor early career researchers since 2011. The Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship is awarded to a candidate from the humanities, arts and social science disciplines, and the Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship is awarded to a candidate from the science and technology disciplines.
YearKathleen Fitzpatrick FellowGeorgina Sweet Fellow
2011Pippa NorrisMahananda Dasgupta
2012Susan O'ConnorNalini Joshi
2013Glenda SlugaTanya Monro
2014Joy DamousiVeena Sahajwalla, Kate Smith-Miles
2015Anne OrfordLeann Tilley
2016Adrienne Stone, Sharon ParkerBranka Vucetic
2017Ann McGrathMichelle Coote
2018Marilyn FleerChristine Beveridge
2019Lynette RussellBelinda Medlyn
2020Maureen DollardCatherine Lovelock
2021Sundhya PahujaYun Liu
2022Larissa BehrendtJoanne Etheridge
2023Janeen BaxterCatherine Stampfl
2024Jacqueline PeelHongxia Wang
2025Felicity MeakinsAnya Reading